Muslim woman, the excellent model for women in the contemporary world

Regarding the significance of the certain issues related to the family and women, Mahjubah mad an interview with Dr. Mahdi Goljan, the managing director of Islamic Thought Foundation.

What is your attitude towards the role of the women in society?ً

Dr. Goljan: Women form half of every society and their role and significance as the most important basis of unity in the family and in the whole community is quite obvious. Now with the changes in conditions the creation of distance from certain traditions and moving towards modernism, the position and role of women have also gone through certain developments and in the wake of their augmented presence in the society, the significance of this half of human society has surfaced more than before. Of course, we should not imagine that in previous societies women have had less impression and significance. Rather, in present-day societies, due to certain developments and due to women's undertaking various social roles, women's effectiveness has become evident more than before, which effectiveness has potentially existed invariably. In view of such conditions,it becomes increasingly important to survey the outlook)s( of the three religions of Islam, Christianity and Judaism towards the subject of women and also to make a comparative study between them. As we know, these are the world religions which have the largest numbers of followers in the world.

Q: Why do you think such a comparison is necessary?

A: Comparison has proved to be one of the significant and basic ways towards human's attaining knowledge, including comparing two or more things comparing two or more thoughts , comparing two or more conducts, with each other. Of course, comparison for getting knowledge can never be restricted to the material world, and rather it enjoys its particular concept in the spiritual world too, particularly in the world which we know as "religion". Comparative studies of various aspects of Ibrahimi religions- Islam, Christianity and Judaism has long been among interesting fields of study for thinkers and scholars. Of course, evidently while comparing religions with each other, their teachings are to be compared.

Q: In your opinion, what are the causes behind some Muslim women's in the world not enjoying that lofty status defined by Islam?

A: What is today generally known as Islam is the behavior of the Muslims which might be different from the true Islamic instructions. As an example, we can cite some countries which have large Muslim populations and of which the governments claim to be Islamic and yet we see many disputes and superficial views about women in them, occasionally emerging as strange and unreasonable verdicts. In today's world, deviation from Islamic ideals regarding respect for women's position has taken place on two opposite directions: one conservative, restrictive and traditionalist and the other liberal and westernized. We should remember that the partly shaking position of today's Muslim women is not due to the Islamic outlook, rather the fault lies with the way some Muslims behave. Of course, no sound mind will blame Islam for some Muslims' shortcomings.

Q: What about Feminism which seems one of the biggest trenches for opponents of Islam's definition of woman?

A: Feminism lives on two sources of nourishment: one being an ancient culture and tradition rooted in ancient Greece and the other a kind of opposition to Christian- Jewish culture. If we decide to classify today's feminism from the viewpoint of the ancient Greece, we can put it into three categories : Hastaii, Athenaii and Artimisti feminism. In fact, the whole process of Feminism is summed up in three mystical features of the ancient Greece. Evidences show that the views of Plato and Aristotle as ancient Greece's personalities towards woman have been very low and that they regarded women as secondary creatures. With just a little survey, we can understand that the roots of feminism in ancient Greece are very close to the views of Plato and Aristotle and the mystical gods and the ancient Greece's myths. According to the second viewpoint and the available texts of Christianity and Judaism . woman has been regarded as very low. So in fact, feminism is a sort of woman’s reaction to the humiliating views towards them in the periods of Christians and Judaism.

But a survey on Islamic thought reveals the fact that such outlooks have never found their way into Islam, while feminists regard Ibrahimi religions as Patriarchal, and put Islam in that some category. The truth is that Islam holds woman in great reverence and the Islamic decrees and teachings, if followed perfectly, will prove to be quite humane and excellent ways of protecting the woman and elevating their position.

Q: So you believe that contrary to the claims of feminists and the so-called defenders of women's rights in the west, it is Islam which presents a quite humane picture of woman?

Dr. Goljan: Exactly. Muslim woman is the excellent model for woman in our world. Islam is the religion of moderation. The verses of the Holy Quran, the Narrations from the infallible and all Islamic teachings present Islam as the religion of moderation. Thus Islam's view towards woman is quite moderate and balanced. That is to say, while Islam pays attention to issues related to woman's biological creation, this religion is also quite careful about the subject of her social identity and has presented decrees and teachings which are exactly considerate of both and in-between the two.

Q: What you have said above point to Islam's attention to both the subject of woman`s individual identity and her social identity. Would you please offer further explanation in this regard?

Dr. Goljan: I have prepared a series of articles on woman, feminism, globalization and some related subjects which will be published as a book soon. Contrary to the Islamic attitude, the modern societies, under the guise of globalization, challenge the traditions and so as a result of that globalization's assault woman's identity in three phases of individual, family and social identity has suffered ruin. This globalization does not permit the formation of family units. Although in today's modern world the term "family" still carries a meaning, yet it does not enjoy that original genuine concept and value attached to the family by divine prophets and Qur'anic teachings. On the other side, we being possessed of a very rich Islamic-Iranian culture and relying on our beliefs are capable of stepping into the globalization field and also challenge it.

Q: So you mean besides Islamic teachings, the Persian literature and Iranian heroines can also be good source of inspiration for today's woman?

Dr. Goljan: Yes, certainly. Indeed, surveys show that to prove their theories, the feminists resorted to their ancient history in the west. We too in the Islamic society, encounter feminism and the negative effects of globalization. As an example, we can cite certain women talked about by Hakim Abul-Qasim Ferdowsi in "Shahnameh", including Gordafarid, Soodabeh, Tahmineh and Manizheh who have presented very good examples for women and we can take lessons from their stories to counter the negative effect of the feminists' propaganda. Also, in the "one thousand and one nights" stories, a story-telling woman named Shahrzad has been presented who through her intelligence and wisdom, relates meaningful stories in one thousand and one nights, whereby putting an end to the ominous plot of killing women and saving her own life too. Such stories present the excellent character of intelligent Iranian women and in fact the Iranian society to all including the western societies.

Q: At the end of the interview, let us have your opinion on Mahjubah. How do you evaluate the trend of the progress of the Mahjubah Magazine during these years? As you know, this issue is going to be the 300th issue of Mahjubah.

Dr. Goljan: Mahjubah has been a companion of its readers for over 25 years by now and has turned into a recognized brand publication as an English language magazine with an Islamic, cultural approach ofcourse; we do not mean to say that all issues of the magazine have been faultless. Yet it has managed to uplift its level and win the confidence of the readers who by now have got the knowledge of what to expect to find in each new issue of Mahjubah. This important achievement is quite conspicuous by the letters and e-mails from the readers and also by the conduct of the visitors at the related fairs.

Q: Which landscapes would you draw for the magazine and which methods would you suggest for its improvements?

Dr. Goljan: As I already pointed out, Mahjubah has turned into a brand by now, has got an identity and is as a train moving in the proper direction. Our task is like that of a pointsman who has to change the direction of the train's movement occasionally so the train will continue to move without getting into problems. These changes are in all related areas including demands of the readers, application of modern media technology, including designing, graphic arts, as well as the contents of the magazine and efforts towards keeping pace with the rapidly moving world of today. To be able to continue its work and its competition in the complex world of today's media, Mahjubah needs to acquire sufficient knowledge about today's readers and move in that same direction, of course within the defined frameworks as an Islamic-Iranian magazine. As you see, world and regional developments in particular in Middle-Eastern and African countries are taking place so rapidly as to make the slightest neglect on our part the cause of being left behind. Mahjubah is placed in a good direction which if continued with greater efforts, will bring about brilliant results.

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